Where does “knitwise” come from?

knitwise (English) comes from English knit, from Middle English knytten, from Old English cnyttan, from Proto-West Germanic *knuttijan, from Proto-Germanic knuttijaną, from Proto-Germanic -janą, from Proto-Indo-European -yéti, from Proto-Indo-European yé- — he, she.

knitwise (English): By knitting, not purling

Definitions

  1. By knitting, not purling

Ancestry of “knitwise”, step by step

knitwise traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English knit

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishknitTo turn thread or yarn into a piece of fabric by...
2Middle EnglishknyttenTo connect or secure; to join something to...
3Old Englishcnyttanto tie; bind; to knot; to knit
4Proto-West Germanic*knuttijanto bind into a knot, tie with a knot
5Proto-Germanicknuttijanąto bind into a knot; to tie with a knot
6Proto-Germanic-janąDerives denominatives from nouns and factitives...
7Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
8Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-
9Chichewaiyehe, she

via English wise

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwiseShowing good judgement or the benefit of...
2Middle Englishwyswise, thoughtful, proper; knowledgeable; alert,...
3Old Englishwīswise
4Proto-Germanicwīsazwise, knowledgeable
5Proto-Indo-Europeanweydstosknowledgeable
6Proto-Indo-Europeanweyd-to see
Every word from Chichewa iyeEvery word from Proto-Germanic -janąEvery word from Proto-Indo-European -yéti